MOTORCYCLING: Clarke claims championship points

Kirton rider Aaron Clarke recorded a strong fifth place in the National Superstock Championship, moving up the standings to sixth on 30 points.

He was running within the top six throughout free practice and qualifying to begin his campaign from a second row grid position.

Clarke got a fantastic start and was up to third at McLean's on the opening lap. He briefly shot into the lead but was beaten back by Milo Ward on lap two and then demoted to third when Joe Sheldon-Shaw overtook him on lap three of 14.

Clarke then entered into a race-long battle for fourth place with Cameron Lee and Caolan Irwin before picking up 11 championship points.

He said: "It was a good race but my rear shock needed a bit more support.

"Everyone else was able to dig in and drive while I was using all the shock.

"That cost me a lot of time out of the faster hard driving parts of the track then I had a little bit of brake failure as well as in the middle stages of the race when the other two came past I wasn't sure my brakes were 100 per cent working so just had to ride with what I had."